Supporting Partnerships to Advance Research and Knowledge (Project SPARK)

SPARK OMB Package

Appendix B: Instrument 2 – Approaches to serving customers

Introduction

Thank you for engaging with Project SPARK (Supporting Partnerships to Advance Research and Knowledge) to help your agency adapt to disruptions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of Project SPARK generally is to equip state and local TANF programs with tools and skills to be better users and producers of evidence. We are conducting a series of short surveys designed to: (1) get your feedback about the usefulness of technical assistance you have received through Project SPARK around program operations during COVID-19, and (2) learn about how your agency has adapted to address challenges for both staff and customers during this public health crisis. This is the second of seven planned surveys. Each survey begins with the same four background questions, followed by a unique set of themed questions. The average response time for this collection of information is 10 minutes.

Providing information is voluntary, and all individual responses collected will be kept private and confidential to the extent permitted by law. Responses will help us improve the technical assistance we provide to programs—both the type of information we provide and the way we provide it—so please be candid. Should you have any questions about this survey or about Project SPARK generally, please contact Michelle Derr, Project SPARK director, at 202-484-4830 or [email protected] with any questions.

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control number for this collection is 0970-0531 and it expires 5/31/2021.

The following four questions ask for background information about yourself.

1. In what state or territory are you located?

2. How would you describe your organization? (select one)

   1. Government agency (for example, human services, workforce, vocational rehabilitation)

   2. Educational institution (for example, adult basic education, vocational education, community college)

   3. Quasi-governmental (for example, workforce investment board)

   4. Nonprofit provider

   5. For-profit provider or employer

   6. Other (please specify)

3. What is your position within your organization? (select one)

   1. Program manager

   2. Supervisor/lead worker

   3. Program analyst/data specialist

   4. Direct services staff

   5. Other (please specify)

4. How would you describe the community in which your organization operates? (check all that apply)

   1. Urban

   2. Suburban

   3. Rural

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The remaining questions relate to the topic of how your organization is serving customers.

5. What was your organization’s initial approach to providing services during the COVID-19 crisis (March/April 2020)?

1. Provided all services remotely with no in-person services

2. Provided mostly remote services with in-person services by appointment only

3. Provided some remote services with limited walk-ins for in-person services

4. Suspended all services

5. No change to services

6. What is your organization’s current approach to providing services?

1. Provide all services remotely with no in-person services

2. Provide mostly remote services with in-person services by appointment only

3. Provide some remote services with limited walk-ins for in-person services

4. All services are suspended

5. No change to services

7. What percentage of your organization’s staff are working in the office at least one day a week as of today?

1. All staff

2. About three-quarters of staff

3. About half of staff

4. About one-quarter of staff

5. None or almost none; nearly all staff are working remotely

8. What percentage of your organization’s staff are working in the office three or more days per week as of today?

1. All staff

2. About three-quarters of staff

3. About half of staff

4. About one-quarter of staff

5. None or almost none; nearly all staff are working remotely

9. What types of flexibility is your organization allowing staff right now? (check all that apply)

1. We can choose to work remotely full-time

2. We have the option to work remotely a few days per week

3. We are expected to be in the office on a full-time basis

4. Not applicable; nearly all of us are working remotely

5. Other, please specify

10. How often did you work remotely before the COVID-19 crisis?

1. Never or rarely

2. Regularly (monthly)

3. Frequently (weekly)

4. All the time

11. If you have worked remotely at any point during the COVID-19 crisis, how productive did you feel during this time?

1. I feel more productive working remotely than I am in the office

2. I feel just as productive working remotely as I am in the office

3. I do not feel as productive working remotely, but I can get most of my work done.

4. I do not feel as productive working remotely, and I cannot get most of my work done.

5. Not applicable; I have not worked remotely

12. What has been positive about the experience of working remotely during the COVID-19 crisis?

13. What has been challenging about the experience of working remotely during the COVID-19 crisis?

14. What is one change that you would like to see regarding your organization’s current teleworking (remote work) policy?

15. How likely do you think it is that your organization will permanently change its standard teleworking (remote work) policy?

1. It already has

2. It seems likely

3. It does not seem likely

4. Don’t know

Mathematica 3